THE Covid-19 death toll in Zimbabwe has risen to 25 following the death of a 36-year-old woman at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo amid reports that four positive cases are housed at the health institution.

Mpilo is not a designated Covid-19 health institution and so far, two people admitted there have succumbed to the pandemic.

Bulawayo has a cumulative of 11 deaths and 447 cases.

More than 197 health workers have been quarantined at Mpilo following the infection of a nurse in June.

An additional 14 nurses tested positive at Mpilo after the initial quarantine of the 197 who were in contact with the nurse.

Mpilo acting chief executive Professor Solwayo Ngwenya confirmed the death yesterday.

The country also recorded 58 new cases bringing the cumulative total to 1 478 since the outbreak of the global pandemic in March.

Of the new cases, 21 are returnees from South Africa, 16 from Botswana and the rest are local members of the public who are already on isolation.

Matabeleland South province recorded the highest number of new cases yesterday with 50, followed by Manicaland which recorded five.

According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, 439 people have recovered from the pandemic since the first was recorded.

“As at July 18, 2020, Zimbabwe had 1478 confirmed cases, including 439 recoveries and 25 deaths.”